FAMILY LIFE

Harold Edwin Gossip was born on 21^st June, 1895 in Stroud, son of John Robert Hearn & Emily (McIntyre) Gossip. He was brother to 5 siblings. Two brothers also enlisted- brother Arthur, who died of his wound in 1918 and James Gossip, 1st Australian Pioneers, had died of wounds on 25 August 1918, aged 32. His father had died in 1907, and his mother in 1910

ATTESTATION

He was single dairy farmer, living in Murwillumbah, eager to do his bit. He travelled to Enoggera with his brother Arthur on 27^th August 1915 to complete his application which showed his next of kin as his sister, Mary Frances Burrows of Tyalgum Arm, Middle Arm. His medical which showed he was 20 years 2 months old, 5ft 9 ¾ inches tall (1.77m), weighed 9 stone 8 lbs (61kgs), with a fair complexion, blue eyes & fair hair.  His eyesight was good.

The Examining Medical Officer stated that Harold “can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service.”  On the second page of the Attestation Paper, he made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Harold Edwin Gossip, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War … SO HELP ME, GOD.” 

He was Presbyterian and had a scar on his right shoulder.  He was enlisted as a private into the 25 Infantry Battalion – 8^th Reinforcements with service No 3517

TRAINING AT RIFLE RANGE CAMP, ENOGGERA

As was the case with men from the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales, they trained at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera near Brisbane. The Barracks Block was built as accommodation for men in two dormitories, each 36 feet by 22 feet (10.97 x 6.7 metres). Beds or bunks were not provided, instead each man slept on a palliasse with ground sheet on the floor. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together.

Now their training began. Firstly, a recruit had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service.

It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave

Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas

The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.

This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training would take several months.

The recruits were issued with their uniform: a khaki woollen jacket, heavy cord breeches and the famous slouch hat – turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge. A soldier’s equipment also included a dixie (mess tin), water bottle, mug, .303 Lee-Enfield rifle and bayonet.

VOYAGE OVERSEAS

On the 3 Jan 1916, together with his brother, Arthur, +the regiment left Brisbane, sailing upon the HMAT Kyara. The epic voyage across the ocean has been described as “the longest journey to war in the history of the world.” They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. On-board, Officers organised rigorous training drills and exercise sessions for the men. They were expected to do their own washing, sweep the decks and carry out other chores

Attempts at breaking up the boredom, apart from the regular drill, varied. Shipboard activities included regular church parades and concerts. Troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection. Sports and recreation included boxing, deck quoits, draughts. Also, the commanding officer's morning inspection; kit inspections; submarine drill; recreation such as the on deck 'open air' library, deck billiards, pillow fighting and card games including Nap. As well, conditions on the ships were cramped and the risk of illness was constant. 

Three hearty meals a day were served; breakfast usually consisted of porridge, stew, and tea. Lunch included soup, meat, vegetables, and pudding. Meat, bread with jam and tea was served for dinner. Many of the troops experienced bouts of seasickness on the voyage. The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.

ETAPLES TRAINING CAMP, FRANCE

The brothers arrived in Marseilles on 27th March 1916. Harold & Arthur would have been marched north by train towards the northern training and staging areas used by the AIF. Like many Australians arriving on the Western Front at that time, Harold was sent to the large training and staging area near Étaples, known as the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD). Situated on the windswept northern coast of France, Étaples was a sprawling and heavily regimented camp where newly arrived troops underwent final preparations before heading to the front. Days were filled with route marches, bayonet drills, weapons training, and exposure to gas warfare precautions—essential for the new kind of conflict they were about to face.

The camp, nicknamed "the Bull Ring" by the soldiers for its relentless pace and strict discipline, was a tough initiation into the reality of trench warfare. Harold joined his unit on 8^th June 1916. By this time, the unit was still positioned in the relatively quiet “nursery sector” near Armentières, where new arrivals could acclimatise to trench conditions under fire. Harold’s true experience of the Western Front was about to begin.

WESTERN FRONT & TRENCH WARFARE

The soldiers now found themselves fighting the Germans in trench warfare. On the Western Front in 1914–1918, both sides constructed elaborate trench, underground, and dugout systems opposing each other along a front, protected from assault by barbed wire. The area between opposing trench lines (known as "no man's land") was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides. Attacks, even if successful, often sustained severe casualties. Trench warfare created a living environment for the men which was harsh, stagnant, and extremely dangerous. Not only were trenches constantly under threat of attack from shells or other weapons, but there were also many health risks that developed into large-scale problems for medical personnel. Apart from the inescapable cold during the winters in France & Belgium, trenches were often completely waterlogged and muddy, and crawling with lice and rats

The time soldiers spent in the trenches varied depending on factors like their army's rotation system and the intensity of the conflict in their sector. On average:

·      Front-line trenches: Soldiers typically remained here for about 4–6 days at a time. This was where the fighting was most intense and the conditions were the harshest.

·      Support and reserve trenches: After time on the front line, soldiers were rotated to these positions for around 6–12 days. These trenches were set further back and offered slightly better conditions.

·      Rest periods: Soldiers were then moved away from the trench system entirely for rest, training, and recovery, often lasting several weeks, depending on operational needs.

The rotation system helped prevent complete physical and mental exhaustion, but the constant dangers of trench life meant there was rarely any true respite.

BATTLE OF POZIERES JULY 1916

After weeks with the 25th Battalion in the relatively quiet Armentières sector, Harold’s war changed dramatically in mid-July 1916. The battalion was transferred south to the Somme, where British and Dominion forces had launched a massive offensive on 1 July. The Australians were brought in as fresh troops to take over a sector near the ruined village of Pozières, which lay atop a vital ridge held stubbornly by German forces.

The 25th Battalion entered the front line near Pozières on 27 July 1916, as part of the second major assault by the 2nd Australian Division. The fighting was unlike anything Harold had previously known. The battlefield was a shattered moonscape of shell holes and tangled wire, where German artillery thundered day and night. The Australians launched repeated attacks to gain control of German trenches east of the village, under withering machine-gun and shell fire.

On 30 July, during one of the battalion’s most desperate efforts to hold newly captured ground against fierce German counter-attacks, Harold was wounded in action. The battalion’s war diary for that day describes “heavy bombardment” and intense fighting throughout the day and night. Many men were buried by shellfire, and casualties were severe. Whether Harold was hit by shrapnel, buried in a blast, or wounded by small arms fire isn’t specified, but the date places him directly in the midst of this ferocious struggle.

The battle for Pozières would go on for several weeks, ultimately costing the AIF over 23,000 casualties. For Harold, the wound sustained on 30 July marked the end of his part in that fight — and left him among the many young Australians who paid dearly for the ridge above Pozières.

WOUNDED IN ACTION 30^TH JULY 1916

One of the casualties was Harold who was wounded in action on 30^th July 1916 with a gunshot wound to his thigh, slight

EVACUATED TO ENGLAND

After being wounded at Pozières on 30 July 1916, Harold was quickly evacuated from the front lines. His gunshot wound to the thigh, although classified as slight, required medical attention beyond what could be provided near the battlefield. He was transported across the Channel to England, arriving on 31 July, and admitted directly to the 3rd Northern General Hospital, based at the University of Sheffield.

Within the larger 3rd NGH network, he was treated at the St Denis section, a smaller hospital site under the same command. This facility cared for convalescing soldiers, providing a quieter environment for healing. There, Harold would have received wound care, physiotherapy, and daily monitoring for infection — a critical concern even with relatively minor wounds, due to the muddy and bacteria-laden conditions of the Somme.

He remained in medical care for some time, gradually recovering.

COMMAND POST 22 SEPTEMBER 1916

On 22 September 1916, Harold was discharged from hospital and sent to No. 1 Command Depot, located at Perham Downs on Salisbury Plain. At the depot, he would have undergone light duty, physical training, and assessment to determine his fitness to return to the front. This period of recovery, though far removed from the guns of France, was still deeply marked by the war — a time of waiting, of healing, and of wondering what came next.

FURLOUGH SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 1916

Harold was given furlough on 23^rd September until 9^th October

MARRIAGE SEPTEMER 1916

While recovering from his thigh wound in England, Harold experienced one of the few bright moments the war would offer him — on 28^th September 1916 he married Millicent Bennet at the Sheffield Register Office. The marriage came during a period of relative calm, as he was still off the front lines and building strength after his injury at Pozières.

COMMAND POST BOVINGTON PARK

Following his discharge from hospital, Harold had been undergoing routine training and fitness assessments at Perham Downs. But on 3 November 1916, he was transferred to another facility — Bovington Park Command Depot in Dorset. Bovington had recently become an important centre for convalescent troops and light training, and it offered a quieter, more rural setting for men still recovering physically or being evaluated for future duties.

Life at Bovington would have involved light drills, route marches, and continued medical supervision. It was a place of uncertainty — where soldiers waited to learn whether they would be sent back to the front, given a home service role, or retained in England. For Harold, it was also a period of adjustment to married life, snatched in the margins of war

REJOINED UNIT FEBRUARY 1917

He rejoined his unit on 5th February 1917.  Harold was once again caught up in the violence of the Western Front in early May 1917.

BATTLE OF BULLECOURT MAY 1917- WOUNDED IN ACTION

On 5 May, during actions associated with the AIF’s operations near Bullecourt, he was wounded for a second time — suffering shell wounds to his cheek and left hand.

HOSPITALISED

He was swiftly evacuated to the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station, where he was stabilised before being admitted to the 2nd Canadian General Hospital on 7 May. Harold remained in hospital for a considerable period — with references to further hospitalisation or convalescence in late July — indicating his injuries, while not life-threatening, required extended recovery. The wounds to his face and hand would have caused pain, discomfort, and possibly limited use of his hand during rehabilitation.

By early August 1917, he was transferred to the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot (ADBD) at Étaples, where he re-entered the cycle of light duties and training. Declared fit to return to his unit, Harold proceeded to the front on 16 August, and on 18 August 1917, he rejoined the 25th Battalion, once again stepping into the grim routine of front-line service on the Western Front.

HUNDRED DAY OFFENSIVE EARLY AUGUST TO LATE SEPTEMBER

Between early August and late September 1918, Harold and the 25th Battalion were engaged in the fierce and relentless Allied advance during the Hundred Days Offensive on the Western Front. Starting with the breakthrough at the Battle of Amiens, they pushed steadily against German positions along the Somme, facing intense artillery barrages, machine-gun fire, and close combat. Harold would have experienced the chaos of rapid advances, the struggle to hold captured ground, and constant pressure from enemy counterattacks. It was during this demanding period of continuous fighting and movement that Harold was wounded again, reflecting the harsh realities of frontline service as the battalion played its part in breaking through the formidable German defences leading up to the breach of the Hindenburg Line.

HOSPITALISED NOT YET DETERMINED SEPTEMBER 1917

In early September 1917, Harold was admitted to the 4th Australian Stationary Hospital with symptoms that were initially unclear, marked as "Not Yet Determined" in his medical records.

TRANSFER TO COMMAND DEPOT OCTOBER  1917

On 5th October, he was transferred to No. 10 Command Depot for further evaluation. By 9th October, Harold was diagnosed with neurasthenia, a condition frequently diagnosed among soldiers during the Great War. Neurasthenia was understood as a form of war fatigue or nervous exhaustion, characterized by symptoms such as chronic tiredness, headaches, irritability, and difficulty coping with stress. This condition was often the result of prolonged exposure to the intense mental and physical pressures of frontline combat, including shell shock and the horrors of trench warfare. Over the following weeks, Harold underwent treatment and recuperation, with transfers to No. 13 Command Depot on 4th November and the AIB Depot on 23rd December. After a period at a relief camp beginning 30th December, he recovered sufficiently to rejoin his unit on 4th January 1918, ready to resume his service.

LEAVE TO ENGLAND JANUARY 1918

On 22^nd January 1918 Harold went on leave to England and returned 8^th February 1918

BATTLE OF MESSINES FEBRUARY 1918

After returning from leave on 8 February 1918, Harold rejoined the 25th Battalion on the Western Front during one of the more tense but transitional phases of the war. The Australian divisions, including the 25th, were in the Messines sector (in Belgium), engaged in routine front-line duties. These included manning trenches, night patrols, and small-scale raids—dangerous but not part of a major offensive at that time. The weather was cold and muddy, adding to the strain of trench life.

GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVE MARCH 1918

The German Spring Offensive began on 21 March 1918, and though it was initially directed at British forces further south, it put all units on high alert. Australian troops, including Harold’s unit, were rapidly moved into more threatened sectors to plug gaps and reinforce strained Allied lines.

BATTLE OF VILLERS- BRETONNEUZ APRIL AND MAY 1918

In April and May, the 25th Battalion was shifted into the Villers-Bretonneux area—a vital position on the Somme protecting the road to Amiens.

By May, the Australians were deeply involved in holding and improving front-line positions under increasingly heavy German shellfire, including gas bombardments—a common tactic to weaken and disorient units before infantry attacks.

WOUNDED IN ACTION GASSED 23^rd MAY 1918

On 22nd May 1918, Harold was wounded in action for the third time—this time as a victim of a German gas attack. By this stage of the war, gas warfare had become both common and terrifyingly effective. It is likely Harold was exposed to phosgene gas, the most lethal of the war’s commonly used chemicals. Colourless and often undetectable until symptoms set in, phosgene attacked the lungs, with effects often delayed for hours. In some bombardments, it was used in combination with mustard gas, a blistering agent that lingered in the soil and contaminated everything it touched—clothing, equipment, even shelter.

An eye witness describes what happens in a gas attack- “[T]he next thing we heard was this sizzling—you know, I mean you could hear this damn stuff coming on—and then saw this awful cloud coming over. A great yellow, greenish-yellow, cloud. It wasn’t very high; about I would say it wasn’t more than 20 feet up. Nobody knew what to think. But immediately it got there we knew what to think, I mean we knew what it was. Well then of course you immediately began to choke, then word came: whatever you do don’t go down. You see if you got to the bottom of the trench you got the full blast of it because it was heavy stuff, it went down.” This was the third occasion Harold had been wounded

HOSPITALISED ENGLAND

Harold was quickly evacuated from the battlefield and admitted to the 22nd General Hospital in France on 23rd May. His condition was serious enough that within two days—on 25th May—he was transferred across the Channel to England and admitted to the Ontario Military Hospital at Orpington in Kent, one of the major facilities treating gassed soldiers. There, he would have received oxygen therapy, rest, and treatment for any burns or respiratory complications caused by the gas.

CONVALESCING & INDEFINITE LEAVE

As his condition stabilised, Harold was moved to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Hurdcott on 7th June, a large convalescent facility where soldiers were gradually restored to health and fitness for either return to duty or discharge. He remained under care and observation for several months, and on 13th September, he was transferred to the military camp at Fovant, where many recovering Australian soldiers were posted before rejoining their units or taking on lighter duties.

Harold’s long journey through this period reflects both the invisible wounds of modern warfare and the resilience required to face them.

On 4th November 1911 he was granted indefinite leave subject to recall

GOING HOME

After years of loyal service, through wounds, gas attacks, and long months of recovery, Harold was finally able to return home to Australia. This time, he was not alone—he was accompanied by his wife and child, who had waited and worried from afar. Their journey home marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another: one of healing, family, and peace after the storm of war. They returned to Australia per Borda on 9 December 1919 arriving 2nd February 1920. He was discharged 28 April 1920.

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service, John was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal. He is listed on the Stroud Memorial.

AFTER THE WAR

Harold enlisted for World War 2 on 9^th February 1941 at Lisarow.  Harold died in Concord on the 21st February 1948 and is buried at The New South Wales Garden of Remembrance. Rookwood, Memorial ID 248588303

Harold’s son, Flying Officer Arthur Bennett Gossip (411262) (Second Pilot) in a 463 Squadron RAAF Lancaster was killed in action over Holland on 22 June 1944, aged 23.

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